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Color Me Counted

As we cleaned out the pantry this past week, I found two boxes of Adams Extract Food Coloring. At first, I thought I’d set them aside for Emelie, my oldest. Her hobby is baking and decorating cakes, cupcakes and cookies, but then I remembered that she preferred the gel food dyes. My next thought was – and homeschooling moms (and dads too ~ thanks Manuel!) everywhere can completely understand this natural transition – “How can I use this to teach my children?”

Remembering that Kenny and I were to discuss concepts like ’empty’, ‘half empty’, and ‘full’ in our next lesson, an idea began to form.

Borrowing a bit from our curriculum, and knowing Kenny (and every other kid I know) likes to ‘do’ more hands-on activities when learning, I set the food coloring out for our next lesson and readied a few ‘recipe’ cards for the concoctions we’d mix up in ‘Math’ the next day.

Kenny read our first recipe:

2 cups yellow water + 2 cups blue water

With a broad grin on his face he asked me if we were “gonna make stuff.” Yes, I assured him, we definitely were “gonna make stuff!”

Knowing he’d love to squirt-out the drops of food coloring, I saved it for him to do. It took a bit for him to figure out that a deep squeeze equals 6 drops, not 1, but he finally figured out how much pressure to apply on the bottle and was counting out the single drops.

I started our lesson by giving him a 1/2 cup measure to use when dipping from the large Pyrex measuring bowl into the smaller, plastic measuring cup.

I explained to Kenny he was using a 1/2 cup measure, and that 2 (two) of the 1/2 cup measures would equal 1 (one) whole cup.

After he scooped out 2 (two) of the 1/2 cup measures and he was able to see they filled a 1 cup measure he grinned; not that he didn’t believe me, but I think it’s a ‘man’ thing to need to ‘prove’ it to himself.

Once 1 cup had been measured out, he poured the contents through the funnel into an old Ball jar. I’m tellin’ ya, the more tools utilized, the more fun it is for a boy.

Then, we were able to discuss that NOW we had completed 1/2 of the first line of the recipe. We wanted to complete the WHOLE first line of the recipe, so we needed to add another cup.

Most of the time Kenny was already ahead of me, telling me what was left to complete.

Can you tell I am a right-handed momma trying to meet the needs of a left-handed boy? He constantly shows me how much of a right-handed world he lives in – especially when I watch him turn the measuring cups around so he can manage their handles. I always feel so silly and promise myself I’ll try harder to remember the next time, but over and over he quietly shifts our set-ups to meet his perspective. We mommas; we’re always learning!

It reminds me of one of my first dates with his daddy. Jeff and I were at a Souper Salad and he was so frustrated because all of the scoops for every single salad topper, including the dressings, were all positioned for right-handed people. I remember his words, “I am a left-handed man living in a right-handed world.”

Fast forward 16 years and his wife is proving the point, but this time – for our boy!

Eeek! So sorry Kenny!

Next on the recipe card Kenny reads he needs to measure out 2 cups of blue water.

Without reminding him, he tells me that 2 (two) halves make 1 (one) whole and his recipe calls for 2 (two) cups.

I.am.so.proud.

Imagine his delight to watch the water turn green.

Looking back at the recipe card we talked about how many cups we have in the jar now since he’s poured in 2 (two) cups of yellow and 2 (two) cups of blue.

Kenny figured his total and filled in the blank at the top of his recipe card.

We decided to check our work, so Kenny poured the jar of green water into the large measuring cup.

Sure enough, there were 4 cups.

Emelie is a huge part of Kenny’s school day. I’m thankful that she’s so precious with him and I see how it benefits both of them. She had been waiting and watching – I believe it excites her as much as me when he understands the fullness of a concept.

He knows she cares – it makes a big difference.

As Kenny grabbed for, and read, the next recipe, Emelie stood on the sidelines looking over her Story of the World assignment for the day.

Kenny had already informed us he could do the next one, “all by myself!”

He made up some red water and he trudged forward.

Initially, I only created three cards, but he wanted more, More, MORE!

What mom can resist a child begging for more Math? I wouldn’t want to deprive him, now would I?

Kenny enjoyed mixing the colors, but he also enjoyed making colors with drops of food coloring, so either way he was counting, and we were discussing, ratios and color blends.

So much can be packed into this single lesson!

In case you’d like to do these with your child(ren), I was able to find the following color ratios to use with liquid food coloring:

Heather Sanders

Hi. I’m Heather, a freelance writer living in Huntsville, a smallish town on the tail-end of the East Texas Pineywoods.
Twenty years ago, I married Jeff, the love of my life, and shortly after, we chose to “go forth and multiply.” We have three kids: Emelie, Meredith and Kenny. We homeschool. It's what we do, and it works for us.
Tired of feeling overwhelmed, we recently "faithsized" our family into a 960 square foot lake cabin in need of renovation. I write at HeatherSanders.com about faith and simplifying your desires so you can be content right here and right now

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Comments

http://mamalang.blogspot.com mamalang

Wow, I’m the first? Anyway, what fun! We color everything in this house (thanks to my husband) from oatmeal to eggs to pancakes (hmm, hungry for breakfast now?), so my kids get the counting drops. I may try this one day when we need something to occupy some time.

http://www.planetmfiles.com Gayle

Hi Heather! I’m a lefty and when I was in kindergarten (many years ago) my teacher told my mom that I would have to switch to right-handed while in the classroom! Thinking back on that now I can’t believe it. Two of my three children are lefties and I can’t imagine telling them, “Do it right handed.” Yikes!

I love your creative way of teaching math!

http://www.lovellfamilyfarm.com Rebecca

Awesome! Can’t wait to try that with my younger ones!

BTW – I was delighted to see your husband called something other than Marlboro Man! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE that name! I just have wondered for the last few weeks, since I’ve been here, if you call him something different at home! : )

http://www.ohmystinkinheck.com OMSH

Gayle (#2) – THAT IS INSANE. She said you’d have to switch? I can’t imagine telling a child that either.

Cheryl in WI

Great Job Mom!

http://www.se7en.org.za se7en

Hahahaha! We have one right-handed kid out of se7en, and both parents are lefties too… a right-handed kid in a left-handed world. I was forced to write right-handed at school. but only ever did in class – now I write with which ever hand isn’t too busy! – But I would rather type any day! You can imagine my handwriting is – well chaotic!

lauren

This is exactly why I want to homeschool! Actually, my 3.5 year old just started to read, does anyone know any good pre-school curriculum? I figure, why wait when he wants to learn?

Cori

My kids would LOVE this!!!! Thank god for dishwashers… I don’t have to hold back on using all the proper “tools” for the job.

Just Me

I love it.
If only my kids hadn’t played with the food coloring on their own a few weeks ago…
I also have a young lefty. Thank goodness I was raised by a lefty mom who never missed an opportunity to point out the difficulties!

http://www.planetmfiles.com Gayle

OMSH, yes. And what’s even weirder is that the teacher was left handed herself and she told my mom how horrible is was to try to get along in a right handed world. I think she was a little messed up.

http://mymusingsaboutus.blogspot.com Sues2u2

What a fun idea! My dad, sister & my daughter (for the duration of cast + surgery + cast) are/were all lefties! My sister was thrilled the first time mom found her some lefty scissors (Looooonnnnng time ago).

I just love how you combined everything though. What a great lesson.

http://www.leilaslegacy.blogspot.com Leila in Texas

I love all of this left-handed talk. I’m a lefty and luckily, I never had a teacher try to change that about me. It is a little harder to manage in this world and right-handed people just don’t get it. I have three children that are all right-handed and it was tougher to teach my kids how to write, but we finally got there!!

In response to Rebecca’s (#3) comment about Marlboro Man. This particular homeschooling post was not done by PW, but by another blogger (OMSH). You can see the link to her blog at the top of the post. in one of PW’s Ask PW posts she talked about how she does not disclose MM’s real name on her blog to keep some of their life private.

http://kitmama.blogspot.com Kit

What fun! I’m pretty unstructured with our homeschooling, but I bet my boys would love it if I set this little activity up one day. We’ll have to give it a try! 🙂

We have a magnet set that shows fractions, and I always grab it to illustrate what’s going on when they help me bake. It does help them really “get it”.

Sandra in Phx

Heather, I just found TWO boxes of food coloring in my pantry and I kept wondering what I was going to do with them…Thanks for being brilliant for me:) You rock!

Manuel

What a creative activity!!! If I had kids, I would totally do this activity.

BTW, there are homeschool DADS out there. Don’t forget them! Also, not all boys”are one way and girls another way. Be careful with gender stereotypes. You don’t want to give off a message to your kids that you uphold gender inequality or segregate genders, do ya? 😀

http://www.jennysrambles.blogspot.com Jenny

Awesome, Heather! I just started homeschooling this year and you have been an inspiration to me. We’re really enjoying our books, but we definitely need to mix it up a little. I think my kids would really enjoy doing more hands-on type stuff. Thanks for the ideas!!

Elizabeth in MO

OMG!! You are SUCH an inspiration! I homeschool 3 boys – ages 8 and 6 year old twins. Please keep up these wonderful posts. I’m getting out my food coloring AND heading over to the TOPS website! THANKS SO MUCH!!!!

cc

aren’t things like this fun- we did colored super saturated water with our Girl Scout troop when they were young and made colored crystals- it was so much fun watching the girls color and mix and create- and then when we talked about the crystals and why some of them were solid colored and some were splotchy it opened a whole new door for them- our public schools here are sacrificing science and social studies on the altar of standardized tests so we try to sneak as much in as we can

http://www.ohmystinkinheck.com OMSH

Rebecca (#3) – Teehee … I am not Ree. I am Heather. I’m a contributing poster to this blog. Ree is married to Marlboro Man. I’m married to Jeff. *wink*

Kit (#13) – That’s an awesome idea – magnetic fraction set. Hmmmm…

Manuel (#15) – YOU ARE EXACTLY RIGHT! Thanks for the ‘gentle’ nudge. *grin*

Liz C

Left-handed-ness: I’m a righty with leanings toward ambidexterosity, and taught myself to handsew lefty so I can demonstrate that way to my clothing tech students. I can’t imagine being told I *HAVE* to do it, and can’t imagine telling my students *they* have to do it from the ‘wrong hand’ for themselves!

OMSH–this is a FUN lesson. Hmmm… do we have any liquid food colors left??

Julie

Wahoo! Thanks for a great idea! Now I know what to do with my 5 yr old today while the others are in their workbooks.

http://www.fromsingletomarried.com Tabitha (FSTM)

that’s awesome!! Love the idea and of course the photos are fantastic!

http://azhometeachin.wordpress.com Jenn in AZ

Very cool lesson! I really like the “recipe” cards you made for him…. We haven’t done this to the extent you did (I am in awe and LOVE it!), but have done some similar things. My youngest loves to paint, so we bought some tempra paints (ahhh, memories of my childhood!) and an artist’s mixing plate (?) and she went to town. I discovered white is a VERY important color to have to tone down some of the mixes and colors. Love your posts. Thanks a lot!

Kelly L.

we are making pumpkin soup, sage rolls and cranberry sauce today (to freeze for Thanksgiving) and you gave me the perfect fun thing to do while we wait for the various things to come to fruition…thanks!! Mine is in fourth grade so the poor kid will have to add fractions…I know–I can ruin any fun thing…it is a gift.

http://www.lovellfamilyfarm.com Rebecca

Oh, I’m sorry! That is too funny! I guess I just haven’t been around here long enough! I thought OMSH and Ree were one in the same! : ) Sorry!